Eye-fatigue reduction system for head-mounted displays

Abstract

Embodiments include method, systems and computer program products for reducing eye-fatigue for users of binocular head-mounted displays. Aspects include displaying a content item by a display device of the binocular head-mounted display and calculating an estimated eye-fatigue of the user of the binocular head-mounted display. Based on a determination that the estimated eye-fatigue of the user exceeds a threshold level, aspects also include modifying the content item, by the processor, to encourage the user to take an eye-fatigue reduction action and displaying the modified content item by the display device of the binocular head-mounted display.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A computer program product for reducing eye-fatigue for a user of a binocular head-mounted display, the computer program product comprising:
 a non-transitory storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method comprising: 
 displaying a content item by a display device of the head-mounted display; 
 calculating an estimated eye-fatigue of the user of the binocular head-mounted display; 
 based on a determination that the estimated eye-fatigue of the user exceeds a threshold level, modifying the content item to encourage the user to take an eye-fatigue reduction action that includes inserting an object into the content item having a stereoscopic depth that is greater than a fixed distance; and 
 displaying the modified content item by the display device of the binocular head-mounted display. 
 
     
     
       2. The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the estimated eye-fatigue of the user is calculated based on measurements of one or more characteristics of the user's eyes. 
     
     
       3. The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein modifying the content item includes inserting a reference object into the content item that is visible during use of the binocular head-mounted display. 
     
     
       4. The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the fixed distance is determined to be at least twice a mean stereoscopic depth of objects in the content item. 
     
     
       5. The computer program product of  claim 3 , wherein the reference object is a rendition of a nose and wherein the reference object is inserted in a center of a field of view of the content item. 
     
     
       6. The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the estimated eye-fatigue of the user is calculated based on duration of use of the binocular head mounted display. 
     
     
       7. The computer program product of  claim 6 , wherein estimated eye-fatigue of the user is calculated based on a mean stereoscopic depth of objects in the content item and a standard deviation of the stereoscopic depth of the objects content item. 
     
     
       8. The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the eye-fatigue reduction action includes one or more of focusing on the object inserted in the modified content item and blinking. 
     
     
       9. A system for reducing eye-fatigue of a user of a binocular head-mounted display device, the display device comprising:
 a processor in communication with a memory and a display device, the processor configured to: 
 receive a content item from the memory; 
 display the content item by the display device of the binocular head-mounted display; 
 calculate an estimated eye-fatigue of the user of the binocular head-mounted display; 
 based on a determination that the estimated eye-fatigue of the user exceeds a threshold level, modify the content item to encourage the user to take an eye-fatigue reduction action that includes inserting an object into the content item having a stereoscopic depth that is greater than a fixed distance; and 
 display the modified content item by the display device of the head-mounted display. 
 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 9 , wherein the estimated eye-fatigue of the user is calculated based on measurements of one or more characteristics of the user's eyes. 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 9 , wherein modifying the content item includes inserting a reference object into the content item that is visible during use of the binocular head-mounted display. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 9 , wherein the object inserted into the content items is selected based on a determination of what type of object the user is likely to pay attention to, where the determination is based on one or more characteristics of the user retrieved from a user profile.